FORWARD TO DEATH
In certain circles at least, Dead Kennedys are as well known as the Grateful Dead. They are the founders of hardcore punk in the San Francisco Bay area, though most of that action was in Los Angeles.
As is common in the punk rock community, many of the bandmembers picked their own names: front man Jello Biafra, East Bay Ray, Klaus Fluoride and 6025; the latter gentleman left the band in 1979, perhaps because they weren’t hardcore enough: One song of his that is included on their debut album, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables is “Forward to Death” (as in: “I’m looking . . .”) and features the lyric: “I don’t need this f--king world”.
(July 2012)
